Breathing
by Miyazaki A2
Summary: Sakura and Lee go on a non-date and she discovers exactly what he means to her. Set during the time-skip. First person, present-tense. Inhale. Exhale. LeeSaku SakuLee
1. Anticipation and Realization

"_**Thank you."**_

_**The words burn in my ears for the length of two entire heartbeats before I feel a sharp jab in my spine, and blackness consumes me as my heart breaks.**_

* * *

I open my eyes slowly, calmly. This dream no longer makes me scream and/or cry. I just breathe. _Breathe._ Inhale. Exhale. Focus on nothing but pulling the oxygen into my lungs and pushing the carbon dioxide out. Do not think of that night; do not think of your loss. Just breathe.

The dream used to knock the wind out of me, leaving me breathless from the pain of my loss, the effort I would exert trying to hold on to false hope and denial. But no longer. After all, it's been two years. Life goes on. I keep breathing.

Inhale. Exhale.

Just. Breathe.

I roll out of bed and walk sullenly to my bathroom. As I let the hot water storm like a waterfall onto my freezing body, my mind drifts. My body goes mechanically goes through my everyday functions while my mind is miles away, asking pointless—but just as everyday—questions.

_**What day is it?**_

Not sure.

_**Well then, what day was it yesterday?**_

…I dunno…

_**Why don't you pay attention to the date?**_

Why should I?

_**Answer the question.**_

Shut up.

_**Why don't you pay attention to the date?**_

Why do you want me to?!

_**Don't shout at me!**_

Leave me alone!

…_**Okay, I will…**_

…I'm sorry.

…_**Me, too.**_

Inhale. Exhale.

I brush my pink hair—natural, if you must know—and stare at the pale face in the mirror, the lifeless green eyes.

What day _is_it?

I tie on my headband—just because my hair is already done—and walk back to my bedroom to find some clothes. As I walk, I look at my calendar, just because that internal argument is eating at me.

Saturday.

I am suddenly eager, excited even. Impatient, I grab the first outfit I can get my hands on and dress in a hurry. I throw an automatic glance at my clock, and then freeze.

6:00 A.M.

Why the hell am I hurrying? I have two hours.

I hate to have to wait.

Angry and frustrated, I sit on my bed and try not to glance at the Squad Seven photo on my bedside table. The photo I can't get rid of. The photo I can't turn facedown. The photo I can't avoid.

Inhale-inhale-inhale. Try to exhale and fail. Inhale again. Fight the memories. Do not think of his name. Do not think of _him!_

I fail.

Sasuke-kun.

Exhale.

The feelings I get when I think of him vary. Sometimes anger, sometimes grief. Sometimes confusion, sometimes guilt. Today it's relief. I haven't thought of him in weeks, save for the reoccurring nightmare, and obviously my heart didn't appreciate the withholding of his memory.

Relief? Okay. Fine. But just because I'm relieved today, don't think that I'll slip up again for a while. There's no reason I or my heart should feel relieved. He left. He _left._ I begged him not to leave me, and he walked away from Konoha and me anyway. I accepted this knowledge a long time ago, but that fact cannot stop the wetness in my eyes from brimming over and falling down my face, down to my lap. Ashamed of letting myself cry over the traitor, I wipe my eyes, turning the tears to icicles.

Inhaaaaale. Exxxhaaaaaale. Iiiiiiinhaaaaaale. Eeeexxxhaaaaaale.

Please. Just. Breathe.

What time is it?

6:04 A.M.

Damn. An hour and fifty-six minutes of hell to go.

I need to distract myself. But I can't leave the house or I might be late on returning and miss him. That would be unbearable.

So I guess I'll stick around.

Sigh. Yawn. Sigh again because I yawned. Look out the window. Still dark.

I wonder if he's still asleep, or if he's waiting just as impatiently as I am.

And then I wonder what Sasuke-kun is doing right now.

Damn! I broke my promise already. I _thought _of him. Twice in one day. I've got to stop doing that.

Breathe deeply. Sigh loudly.

Keep breathing or perish—basic law of life.

It shouldn't be so difficult to live without him. I shouldn't have to remind myself to keep breathing.

But it is. And I do. The ice tears threaten to fall again. I dig the heels of my hands into my eyes, as if I have the power to eradicate the emotion they symbolize by sheer force of will.

I gasp from the sudden pain in my chest.

Wait for relief. 6:06 A.M. An hour and fifty-four minutes to go. Count backwards in your head. Be patient. He's always right on time. Don't worry. Breathe. Wait.

I do as I say. I always do as I say. I've become strangely obedient in my days alone.

Alone. The word burns in my subconscious. Glance at the clock. Only thirty seconds have passed since I last looked at it. Why doesn't time ever speed up when I _want _it to?

God, I hate mornings.

Due to my hour and fifty-three minute service in hell, I might as well make it worth it. I think the most painful things possible. _Questions_.

Was there anything I could have done differently? Would it have changed anything? Was there any part of him that didn't want to go? When I begged him to stay, was there any part of him that wanted to honor that request? Was that part because of me? Did he care about me at all? If he had stayed, would we have been together by now? Do I still _want_ that?

And what the hell does thank you mean?

Do I care anymore?

If I don't, why does it hurt so badly?

Did he know it would hurt so badly?

…Did he care…?

Do I?

The hardest question is whether or not I care anymore. Sure, my body is just so used to the pain that I feel it whenever I think of him, but what about my _heart?_ Does my heart care that he's gone anymore? I'm not sure. I guess I would have to see him again to know for sure, but that's never going to happen. He left. He's gone.

6:10 A.M. An hour and fifty minutes.

Inhale. Exhale. Eyes close. Breathing slows. Inhale…exhale. I sleep.­

* * *

Eyes open. Breathing speeds up. I am awake. How long was I asleep? I look to the clock. 7:38 A.M. An hour and twenty-eight minutes. How much longer now? Twenty-two minutes.

Yes!

I skip down my stairs to the front room, where my mother reads a book. Breakfast must be over already. She never rests until after breakfast.

She looks up at me and smiles. "Look who's so eager," she says, just like every Saturday morning.

"Eager? Who's eager?" I reply, just like every Saturday morning.

She looks at the clock as I sit beside her. "Twenty minutes," she says for my benefit.

"Thanks," I say, looking at the clock just for reassurance. Kaa-san's right.

"You look upset," she says hesitantly. She doesn't want me crying.

"I had the bad dream," I whisper.

"Ah," she says quietly, letting the subject drop. The first time I had that dream, I couldn't come out of my room for a few days. She doesn't want to have to see me like that again. That's why I hide in my room so much. I don't want her to see me.

How can I distract myself now? If I think too much about Sasuke-kun—flinch—there's no way I'll be in any shape for visitors. Unacceptable.

I decide to read over my mother's shoulder. She doesn't mind—she thinks I don't have enough literature in my life.

This might have been a mistake. Whatever she was reading was a romance, and the characters were just now declaring their mutual love for the other.

"But don't you understand," the woman said to the man, "how in love with you I am?"

"You're in love with me?" asked the man.

"Of course I am!" replied the female lead.

"Why didn't you say anything earlier?"

"Why would I?" 

"Because it would've saved us both so much trouble!"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that I'm in love with you, too!"

And then he grabbed her and they kissed and I'm so sick of my mother's romance novels. I scowl at my mother's book and cross my arms over my chest, looking away before the couple could start talking again.

"You don't have to look so disgusted," Kaa-san says quietly. God, how does she know everything?

"Who's disgusted?" I say mechanically, indifferently.

"Fifteen minutes," she says, playing the peacemaker.

"Yeppers," I say in a monotone, again looking at the clock.

"It really is a good story. You'd like it."

"I already know what happens," I protest.

"I'm only in the middle—I don't even know what happens!"

"They fall in love," I say slowly.

"That's just part of the story," she objects.

"What if one of them dies? Or if one of them leaves the other?"

She frowns. "That'd be part of the story, too, Sakura-chan."

I cock my head to the side, and do not reply. How many times have we had this discussion about how many books? I've lost count. But my mother has a kind of bad luck picking books, so I refuse to risk it. Someone always dies or leaves. I don't think I can take that.

Twelve minutes. Hurry.

Inhale deeply. Exhale loudly. Not a sigh, just a burst of useless air from my lungs. Inhale. Exhale.

She looks at me until I look back, and then she turns away quickly, pretending she hadn't been staring.

I wonder if he's left his house yet, or if he plans to run over at the last second. I don't know how he does it. Maybe I'll ask.

Ten minutes. Time ticks away more slowly than ever. Time flies when you're having fun, and time stands still in anticipation. Time sure does have a hell of a sense of humor.

Pain creeps into my mind. Undeniable, inescapable. I can only wait for relief. Wait. Be patient. Breathe!

_**Don't be so bossy.**_ Inhale. Exhale. _**Happy?**_

Not really. Not yet.

Why do I talk to myself?

_**Because no one else will. Duh. Why else?**_

That's rude.

_**But accurate.**_

I know.

I really have to get out more often.

Seven minutes.

He won't be late, but he won't be early. He doesn't want to catch me at a bad moment.

Inhale-inhale-inhale. Don't panic. Seven minutes isn't so long. You can survive seven minutes, can't you, you little wimp? It's not that hard. Distract yourself. Inhale-inhale-inhale. Pace if you have to.

I stand. Exhale.

"Where are you going?" Kaa-san asks as I jog into the kitchen.

"Nowhere," I shout behind me.

Where she can't see, I walk across the kitchen over and over again, letting my secret OCD get the best of me.

Step, step, step, step, step. About-face.

Repeat.

"Five minutes," Kaa-san calls, bless her.

Keep pacing. Keep breathing. Focus on nothing but each foot in front of the other, turning around without tripping, picking your foot up as soon as the other hits the floor. Allow nothing else enter your mind until—

**Ding-dong.**

"Oh my, I wonder who that could be," Kaa-san says dryly as I run to the door.

I wrench it open, impatient as ever.

The first think I see is green. Lots of green. Then a huge grin. And finally the big round eyes I've been waiting for all morning.

"Lee-kun," I breathe.

His grin gets wider at the sound on his name on my lips, especially with the newly adopted, adored suffix.

"Sakura-san! Ohayo," he says, as joyful as every Saturday morning.

I can't help but grin, too.

Where did the pain go? The agony of my loss?

_**What loss? All I see is Lee-kun. I haven't lost him.**_

I meant Sasuke-kun.

_**Oh, him? Right. About that…**_

How could there be any pain when anyone like Lee-kun could be so happy to see someone like me, Sakura, the broken one?

He stands with one hand behind his back, grinning as always. Just as I open my mouth to let him in, he pulls a bunch of flowers out from behind his back. He gives me a flower every Saturday, so I am not surprised at first. But the surprise comes when I realize how small and delicate the bell-shaped white flowers in his hands are. Usually Lee-kun just gives me daisies.

"Oh, Lee-kun! They're so beautiful!"

He blushes and hands them to me. "They're white heathers," he says as I press the delicate petals to my nostrils. A sweet, almost lilac-like scent fills my head, and I sigh. "It's the flower of protection…and wishes."

My face gets hot, and I'm sure I'm blushing, too. "Wishes?"

His face is as red as a tomato. "It's a good luck symbol that means wishes _do_ come true."

I know Lee-kun's wish. What is mine? By the sense of rightness and completeness I feel with him on my doorstep, perhaps the gap between the two is not so large.

"Arigato, Lee-kun. They're lovely. Come inside so I can put them in a vase."

He grins at the invitation and quickly steps inside. Now that he is so near, I do not panic as I go back up to my room and nestle the white heathers in with the daisies. Ah, Lee-kun. Lee-kun and I have spent the day together nearly every Saturday since Naruto-kun left with Jiraiya-sama to train. At first, I would see no one, and no one bothered to try and see me. But after a month of solitude, Lee-kun came to see me. To see how I was coping. I didn't want to see him—anyone—at first, so I ignored him. But he kept coming back, every single Saturday, never letting my rejections faze him. He knew I was in pain, so he just waited. Finally, his patience paid off and I agreed to go with him. He kept it simple—not a date, just a walk-and-talk between friends. He kept coming, and I kept going with him, due to the sense of wholeness I felt in his presence.

At first, he came to comfort me in my loneliness, but it wasn't long before I started to look forward to Saturdays more than ever. For company, I assumed. All I wanted was company. But over time, it's become more about _Lee-kun_ than anything else. I no longer seek _anyone's_ company—I _require_ _Lee-kun's_ company. I can't live without our Saturdays. Maybe someday, it won't just be Saturdays. I know Lee-kun's wish. What's mine?

Maybe they're the same.

Lee-kun is more than just a friend. That much is apparent. I _need_ him now.

I half-run down the stairs to see Lee-kun waiting impatiently near the front door. No, not impatient. Anxious. Eager. Just like every Saturday morning.

Now I race to his side, yank open the door, yell a quick _ja_ to my mother, and hop onto the porch. Lee-kun, just as enthusiastic, if not more, takes a flying leap and lands by the road. I run to catch up with him, and then we laugh at each other's impatience.

"How was your week, Sakura-san?" he asks, starting to walk.

"Alright, I guess. I put a dog's broken leg back together in five seconds flat. That got me points with Tsunade-sama. I hope she might lay off soon—she works me like a pack mule."

"She wants you to be great," he says, and I guess his thoughts have drifted to his father-figure, Gai-sensei.

"How about you? How was your week?"

He blushes. "It was a little long. I thought today would never get here."

"I know what you mean," I say, smiling broadly. _Where is the pain_ I wonder again. I can hardly remember what it felt like to be without him.

I walk so close to him that our arms nearly touch. If I would only flick my wrist, we could hold hands. That would make Lee-kun so happy. I want terribly to make him happy. Lately, my entire life seems to be about that smile on his face. After all, where would I be without him?

_**Huddled in your room with that damn picture of Sasuke-kun staring at you, pounding you with memories of your lost love. That's where you'd be, baka.**_

Ah, right. I should've known. Arigato.

Suddenly, a thought hits me.

_**My lost love.**_

Is it possible…could I have…maybe…gained a love because of my lost love?

I look at Lee-kun, his bright grin, his reassuring eyes. There is nothing about him I would change. There is not a single aspect of him that I can live without.

Is that love?

What was my love for Sasuke-kun based on, anyway? His look, his attitude, his cool demeanor. His strength.

But what about Lee-kun? He's taken care of me. He's protected me physically, mentally, and emotionally. He's been my friend, my very best friend, the one person I can always count on. He's strong, but in a way more than just physically. He can survive anything, and he never, _ever_gives up. He wants strength, not for the sake of having strength, but for the sake of making the world a better place _with_ that strength.

Sasuke-kun wanted strength to kill his brother. An avenger, that's what he always called himself. Nothing crossed his mind but revenge. Nothing.

Lee-kun would never consider revenge. Not like that. Not like Sasuke-kun. Rematches, sure, but he would never dedicate his life to ending someone else's. He's too good.

Perhaps the biggest—and potentially most important—difference between the two men is that Lee-kun actually loves me. He always has. He loves two people more than the rest of the world combined: Gai-sensei and me. From the first moment he met me, he promised to protect me until the day he died, and he's upheld that promise so far.

I hope Lee-kun is far away the next time someone is about to kill me—I couldn't bear to have him die for his love for me. If anything, I would rather throw myself in front of the fatal blow of _his_attacker.

That's love, isn't it? Wanting someone's life to continue even if it means ending your own? Isn't it?

May_be_. Let's go through the tallies.

Do I love Sasuke-kun?

_**I'll always love Sasuke-kun. **_An automatic response.

But am I _in _love with Sasuke-kun?

_**I…I don't think so.**_

Alright, then, do I love Lee-kun?

_**Most definitely.**_ Just as automatic.

But am I _in_love with Lee-kun?

…_**Yes. I think I am…**_

* * *

A2 here. This is the first chapter of my first fic. I don't really know what to say about it, though. I like it, just because it's mine, but I'm not sure what other people would think of it. _Sigh._ Anyways, I'd love to hear what people think. It shouldn't take me long to update this fic, since most of it is already written.


	2. Proclamation

By the time I am out of my reverie, I realize Lee-kun and I are in the forest.

"Uh, Lee-kun?"

He looks at me with amused eyes.

"Hai, Sakura-san?"

The way he pronounces my name makes my heart stutter irregularly.

I smile. "Where are we going?"

His face breaks into a characteristic grin.

"A small lake I found here once when training with Gai-sensei. It's sort of pretty. I think you might like it. No one else knows about it, not even Gai-sensei. It's my secret." He pauses and blushes. "I want to share it with you."

Wow. I'm speechless, so I smile in encouragement.

With new, more appreciative, eyes, I notice how careful he is to pull branches out of my way as we walk.

I do not hesitate. I take his hand in mine, lacing our fingers together with ease, enjoying the rough warmth of his bandages.

He freezes.

He looks at me, his other hand still on the branch in front of us.

He slowly smiles.

I smile, and look down.

He takes the hint and doesn't comment.

We keep walking, and his hand is very gentle, very loose, on mine, as if he expects me to laugh and let go at any moment.

_**Not this time**_, I want to say. _**Not today.**_

I grip his hand so hard that it probably hurts him.

He squeezes my hand back, though much gentler.

Inhale. Exhale. Sigh happily.

After eight minutes and forty-three seconds, the trees begin to thin out. After thirty-seven seconds—if you cannot tell, my sense of time has increased tenfold in my days of solitude—the trees are gone.

Gasp.

It _is _sort of pretty. More than sort of. It is beautiful. The lake is perfect and round, almost like a pool, but something about it tells me that it is completely natural. The trees give the lake a wide berth, as if they don't want to be compared to the serene perfection that is Lee-kun's lake. The clear blue water invites me in, and I take a step forward, letting go of Lee-kun's hand.

"Sakura-san?!" Lee-kun's voice breaks through my trance, and I look back at his aberrantly frightened face.

"Nani?" I ask, shocked by the uncharacteristic horror in his wider-than-usual eyes.

"Stay away from the water."

"Why?"

He points and I turn around.

Little, almost-shapeless creatures are looking at me. Their red eyes glow in distaste. What the hell are _those?_

Inhale. They move towards me. Breathing cuts off. Cannot exhale.

I back up until I am standing next to Lee-kun.

The red eyes turn to a pale blue, and then the nearly-shapeless creatures sink back into the water.

Exhale.

"What _were _those?" I ask, trying to keep calm.

"I am not sure, but I do know they do not like it when you get too close to their lake." He smiles and breathes evenly. Obviously I had been in no real danger. No matter what, Lee-kun would be there for me. Even if it meant taking on things he could barely see. "They prefer you just look."

Inhale. Exhale.

I look into Lee-kun's eyes for the length of seven too-fast heartbeats, and then I look back at the Creatures' Lake.

"Fine then. I'll just look."

I sink to the ground, pulling my knees up to my chest, wrapping my arms around my calves, and resting my chin on my knees. He stands for twenty-nine seconds, and then sits by me, criss-crossing his legs.

"This place is lovely," I say quietly, and I think I hear the Creatures' murmurs of agreement. "Simply beautiful."

I can feel Lee-kun's eyes on me, so I look back at him. He looks away before I can meet his gaze. He lays back and puts his hands behind his head. I somehow know this is just to make it harder for me to see his eyes.

Sigh.

"It _is _beautiful," he finally says. "Thank you for coming…and for spending so much time with me."

So that's what he's embarrassed about.

I laugh, and he picks his head up off the ground to raise one thick, incredulous eyebrow at me.

"Really, Lee-kun, _I_ should be thanking _you!_" I sigh. "I've been so lonely lately. Saturdays are the only days I really feel alive anymore. I owe you a lot. My sanity. Possibly my life."

His eyes are wide as he processes my confession. He sits up abruptly.

"Wha-what do yo-you me-me-mean?" His eyes are horrified, and I do not want to have to confirm his fear.

"There were points…before our Saturdays…when I didn't…want to be…_alive._ Sometimes…I wanted to…just…_die_."

Inhale. Exhale.

He is instantly furious. "Sakura-san!" he shouts. "You must _never, ever _think like that! _EVER!_ No matter what happens, you must _never _take your own life! That is _not _the shinobi way! We keep going! We _fight_!"

His voice is full of conviction, but it is different than his usual enthusiastic shouting. The enthusiasm is replaced by horror and dread. I realize with a shock that he is close to tears.

Sigh.

I touch his face, and his features immediately soften. His cheek grows warm under my palm, and his next sentence is choked off.

"Sa…ku…ra," he murmurs, looking away.

"Lee-kun…that's the point. _I don't want to die anymore__**.**_ I want to live…because of you. _For_ you. You've saved me."

He meets my gaze and grins, giving me a cheerful thumbs-up. "Well, at least I've kept my word." He laughs.

"Thank you for that," I say. I drop my hand.

We are both quiet for awhile, and eventually we turn our attention to the Creatures' Lake. The water is impossibly clear.

Inhale. Exhale. Do it for Lee-kun. Keep him alive by staying alive.

"Sakura-san?" he whispers almost inaudibly, not looking at me.

"Hai?"

"Promise me you won't ever hurt yourself…on purpose."

"I told you—"

"I know, but I mean unconditionally. If anything ever happens…just promise."

I do not hesitate. "I promise." Why not? Nothing could possibly happen to Lee-kun, my Lee-kun. Ever. Surely the Gods do not hate me enough to break my heart twice. And as long as that is true, why would I need to hurt myself?

His face is instantly light. "Arigato."

Quiet again.

Where is the pain? It is impossible how…good I feel when I'm with him.

"We should to this more often," I announce.

"Come to the lake?"

"No, just in general. I mean, even if we're training or on missions, just as long as we're together."

I do not meet his gaze, but out of the corner of my eye, I can see him grinning in disbelief. I hear a small, euphoric laugh escape his throat, and then I notice the light blush on his face.

"I agree!" he exclaims, and for half a heartbeat, I picture the two of us battling side-by-side, the lotus and the cherry-blossom. "Gai-sensei would love to have another trainee, even if only temporary." He pauses, and I look at him with expectant eyes. "And of course," he adds slowly, "it would be wonderful to train with you."

I smile at him.

My first love is gone. He had never loved me.

The boy who has always loved me is right here.

I know Lee-kun's wish.

His and mine are the same.

I know it.

"Lee-kun?" I whisper.

He looks at me with inquiring eyes, smiling a little.

"Do you still love me?"

His smile fades and he looks down, his face cherry-red. I continue to gaze at him with unrelenting eyes.

He is silent for fifty-four seconds before he finally says, "I will never stop loving you, Sakura-san."

Inhale. Exhale.

"That is a very good thing," I reply.

He looks up at me, mouth agape. He tries to speak, but no sound comes out of his throat. After thirty-eight seconds, he finally manages a strangled, "Why is that?"

"Because, Lee-kun," I say, my voice very formal, "I've fallen in love with you." I pause, feeling silly, giddy almost. "I love you, Lee-kun."

I smile.

He gapes.

I scoot closer to him until our shoulders touch.

I can tell that he's not breathing.

"I do not believe it," he says with forced conviction.

I lean my head on his shoulder and laugh gently. "Why not?"

"You love Uchiha."

"Yes, I suppose, but I am not _in _love with him. Not anymore. People fall _out _of love, right?"

"I still cannot believe it."

"That's your decision, I guess. You've had to wait for me—it's only fair that I have to wait for you." I close my eyes and sigh contently.

Despite his disbelief, he rests his head on top of mine.

"I _want_ to believe," he says. "But if I do, I will wake up. And I don't want to. I want to sit here forever and never move. But how can I risk it?"

"Don't you trust me?" I ask in a teasing voice, playing with him a little. I know he'll come around—why not enjoy that funny totally-sure-of-himself look on his face while I can?

"Of course I do!" he says, shocked. Then his face is shrouded by a mask of sadness. "It is myself I do not trust."

"What do you mean?"

"How can I, after all, trust myself to be good enough for you? You must have certain standards, what with how in love with Uchiha you are, and in reality I could never measure up to those standards—ergo, I am dreaming."

"I have no stan—well, that's a lie. I _have_ standards. Like, a man has to be kind, thoughtful, intelligent, strong, _loving_—"

"What about handsome?"

"And handsome. Well, if you ask me, you meet up with all my standards, and maybe some that I've never thought about."

His jaw sets. "I _am _dreaming."

I sigh. "If I _promise_ this isn't a dream, would you _please_ believe me?"

Silence.

He still doesn't breathe. I wonder how long he can go without taking a breath. If I think back on his sensei's eccentric training methods, it is probably a very long time.

Finally, he inhales.

"Perhaps," he says cautiously, "if you meant it."

"I love you. I _promise _I do."

He says nothing.

"I want to be with you. I want you to belong to me and no one else, and I want to belong to you and no one else. I want to be able to see you everyday you're not on a mission. I even want to go on missions _with_ you. I don't want to be alone anymore. Not even alone—I don't want to be without _you_. I _love you_, Lee-kun!"

I pick up my head to look at him, and I am a little surprised to see he is crying. Not loudly—the tears fall without a sound.

"Lee-kun? Are you okay?"

He nods once, and rubs his eyes. "Just happy. I thought I would never hear those words from you. I've waited so long…oh, Sakura-san!"

His arms are around me in a fraction of a second. I can hardly breathe. If holding Lee-kun's hand made me feel whole, this makes me feel like there are two of me. Lee-kun, my second self.

My arms are around him, and before I register what is happening, his lips are on mine. His lips are gentle and hesitant, and very, very sweet. I pull him closer to me, and I cannot imagine a better feeling. Is this what I've been missing for so long? What a fool I was on the first day we met. I was so foolishly in love with Sasuke-kun—I feel no pain when I think of him; after all, how could I feel pain while kissing Lee-kun?—that I could not appreciate the fact that someone wonderful was willing to be mine. I must have hurt him so badly with my heartless sneers.

That is in the past, Lee-kun told me once when I apologized for my callousness. We were different people then.

_I _was different—that is true. I was blind and stupid. But Lee-kun, he's always been loving and kind and strong and perfect. Nothing to be improved upon.

How could I have been so _baka?_

After what seems like a very long time, Lee-kun pulls away from me and smiles. I hear nothing but the blood pounding behind my ears, feel nothing but heat. See nothing but Lee-kun.

Inhale. Exhale.

Life is good.

I suddenly remember the white heather. The flower of protection and wishes.

I know Lee-kun's wish. I know my wish. They're the same.

Wishes do come true.

Inhale. Exhale.

For the first time in what seems like an eternity, I am not afraid of Sunday.

* * *

**_A2 again. Well, that's my first fic. Nothing but fluff, but i love it anyways. Go LeeSaku!_**

**_There is a sequel, and it's nothing special. just more of the same, except i give hints of InoChou, ShikaTema, and NejiTen. They go on a mission to Suna to pick up Temari for the Chunin Exams, and it's really just Sakura's subconscious dealing with going from Sasuke to Lee through dreams. I won't upload it for a while. Not until i really feel like it. ;-)_**


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